Worse
by the-singular-peep
Summary: The night that the portal was closed, no one wanted to leave Glimmer alone. The princesses trickled out slowly to return home, finally leaving a trio in their wake. Glimmer still hadn't cried. [SET THE NIGHT OF S2E6. ONE-SHOT. COMPLETE.]


**_Worse_**

* * *

The night that the portal was closed, no one wanted to leave Glimmer alone.

Even before her mother's …._ disappearance, _Glimmer had been prone to fits of depression and grief. She would hole herself up in her room for hours, days even, if things just got too much. Whether it was grief over her father, self-loathing for her actions, or anything else getting into her head, Glimmer got caught up in her own thoughts _very _easily. And now, the possibility that she might neglect herself, or dig her self into such a deep hole that she couldn't get out, was higher than ever.

The other princesses stayed, late into the night – They all sat around in Glimmer's bedroom (the meeting room was just too painful) for hours on end, not getting a blink of sleep and talking in soft, low voices, and even Frosta wouldn't leave Glimmer's lap. But as the hours passed, the group trickled out the door, bidding soft goodbyes and promises to be back, finally leaving a trio in its wake.

"Glimm," Bow said softly, reaching a hand over to Glimmer's knee. The girl looked up at him abruptly, but her eyes didn't meet his and her cheeks were dry – they had been all night, not a single tear shed since the first time the news hit her ears. "Glimmer, you need to get some sleep."

Glimmer nodded, swallowing hard with her eyes downcast, but she didn't make a move to get up. The group sat in silence for another few minutes before Adora scooted closer to the girl.

"Bow's right. You've been going non-stop all day; you need to rest."

Her voice was tiny when she responded.

"You're one to talk." Glimmer tried, but her heart obviously wasn't in it. Her eyes closed and her lips pressed together. "You're right."

"Do you wanna go take a shower first?" Bow asked, his hand still on her knee. He started to speak again, but stopped. He knew it wouldn't make her feel any better, and there was no use in lying to say it would. Glimmer shrugged. Adora squeezed her shoulder.

"Okay." Glimmer finally said, and she stood rather abruptly. Bow stood after her and began around the room, grabbing up her favorite nightgown and underpinnings as she just stood there, arms limp at her sides. Bow took the clothes and left the room briefly, then returned a few moments later with empty hands.

"The water's all warmed up for you, Glimm. We'll be right here when you're done."

Glimmer walked out silently, lips tight and body sluggish, leaving Adora and Bow standing alone.

"It's my fault." Adora burst out, her voice weak and cracking. "I shouldn't have let Angella go, I should have found another way. I should have gone _myself, _I-_" _

Without any hesitation, Bow pulled her to him by the shoulders.

"Stop that." He said, and his voice was firm and so unlike him. "There is _nothing _you could have done, Adora. And you being gone instead wouldn't make any difference. She needs _you _too. Okay?"

Adora shrugged. If she was thinking rationally, she would agree- what was done was done, and there wasn't any way to change it. But she couldn't think rationally, not very well. Before she had a chance to respond, Bow pulled her to him – a tight, strong embrace to remind her who she was, where she was, that she was safe and loved. Adora relished that hug, breathing deep.

But Bow didn't tell her it was okay, nor did he say it was going to be.

Finally, he let go and guided Adora back towards the day bed at the window. He kept an arm around her, but the two remained silent. Minutes ticked by, and finally Glimmer emerged. She was fresh and clean, her hair dripping and her plush nightgown soft on her rosy skin. She walked into the room silently eyes downcast and arms wrapped around herself.

"I'm going to bed." She announced, her voice soft and croaking. Adora stood up instantly, followed by Bow. Adora started to speak.

"Oh, we'll go then, uhm—"

"No." Glimmer hiccupped. Her face screwed up a little, but she didn't cry. "Don't leave me."

It was well into the night when Adora woke abruptly, wedged in between Glimmer and the wall with blankets and pillows from various rooms smothering her. Bow was across from her on Glimmer's other side, pressed just as close to Glimmer's side as she was, but Adora for the life of her couldn't figure out why she woke up. It wasn't time for the sunrise yet, so her biological clock didn't wake her, and it seemed as if Glimmer and Bow hadn't stirred for quite some time. But then she heard it again – a sob, stifled and broken, a hot breath against her chest.

"Glimmer?" She whispered, and pulled back as far as she could from the hot body pressed into her front. The girl in question curled in on herself as if trying to hide her face. Adora reached down and grabbed her chin gently, pulling her head up a little.

"Hey," She said, her voice soft and gentle. "Hey, it's okay,"

Without a split second's hesitation Glimmer's arms wrapped themselves around Adora, burying her face closer into her chest. A loud and messy sob escaped her lips, and this time there was no attempt to hide it. Bow shot up on the other side at the noise, his chest heaving as he looked around. Adora used her eyes to gesture down to Glimmer, and Bow immediately softened.

Adora gently adjusted herself so she was sitting up, taking Glimmer with her, and Bow scooted over to them, enveloping them both in his arms.

"Glimmer sandwich," He sing-songed in a soft and cheery voice, a term they had used multiple times to refer to their three person hugs. Glimmer let out a loud, gasping sob, and then her cries were louder, wailing, desperate and painful. Her nails were digging into Adora's shoulders, but she didn't care. Without even thinking about it she nuzzled Glimmers head under her chin, shushing softly and burying a kiss in her hair. Bow softly began to rock the whole group, just a little bit back and forth in the darkness. Glimmer continued to cry into Adora, but after a few moments she broke away, sobbing so hard she started to cough deep in her chest. She pulled away from Adora, and Bow began to pat her back as she coughed, shushing her as he did so. Finally she caught her breath, a deep, stuttering gasp in and collapsed back against Bow.

"I'm _sorry," _She sobbed, and Bow kept rocking her. He also planted a kiss into her hair, shushing as he did so, before Adora leaned over to hug her other side.

It seemed like hours sitting like that, rocking softly and kissing her head, before Glimmer finally had just… cried herself out. They sat there on the floor in silence then, no one daring to move a muscle.

"I'm sorry." Glimmer repeated once she had quieted some.

"For what?" Adora mumbled into her hair before pulling back some. "Why..why are _you _sorry? I'm the one who—" She stopped. She couldn't finish. Glimmer shook her head viciously.

"No, no, I – You don't –" She stopped and sucked in air, not bothering to wipe away the tears starting to roll again. "The last thing I said to h-her," She breathed, her voice incredibly congested and lisping with full force. "I was _stupid, _a-and _angry, _and—" She sobbed. "I'm sorry to _her," _

Bow and Adora both tried to pull her to them at once, leaving them in an untangleable pile on the ground.

"She loves you," Bow whispered immediately, at the same time Adora mumbled a soft, "Oh, Glimm.."

"She loves you, Glimmer." He repeated, "She forgave you before you even opened your mouth."

Glimmer choked on a sob and coughed into Bow's chest, and Adora patted her back from her other side.

"You don't _know _that!" She cried, but she didn't pull away from the group.

"Yes, we do." Adora retorted, and her voice was forceful and sure. Glimmer didn't respond, and Adora softened her voice. "We do."

Glimmer shook her head, nuzzling it into Bow and shivering in Adora's embrace.

Really, there was nothing they could say, nothing that could make it better. But they could hold onto her tight, and so they did.

Castaspella had opted to come to the Brightmoon Castle the moment she got word. She didn't know what she would do once she got there. She didn't know how to console her niece. She didn't know how she could help the village, or those employed in the castle, or the princess alliance. But she could be there. And so she was.

She left late in the night the night it happened, word being brought by messenger hours after it occurred. She cried on her way over, vowing to get the tears out now to stay strong for Glimmer.

Castaspella had been close to Angella. They were sisters in law. Friends. They loved each other, and were there for each other, and now she had to reimagine her life alone. But it wouldn't be nearly as hard for her as it would be for her youngest niece, and so she put on a brave face at five AM on a Tuesday as she walked into the Brightmoon Castle and made her way quietly up to Glimmer's room.

She debated between knocking and not knocking, finally deciding on the latter. Glimmer wasn't always one to allow herself to be vulnerable, and if she knocked, Casta would likely be ignored or sent away.

She would admit, it _did _feel a little invasive to just barge in, but it was for the greater good.

The first thing Casta saw when she entered the room was a slew of pillows and chairs across the room. The second was the untouched bed.

The third was the pile of feet and limbs and hair all tousled tightly together on the floor, soft snores echoing about them.

Purple curls shown from the middle of that pile, followed by a tiny sleepy mumble from its owner, and Casta backed out and closed the door.

Glimmer would need something stable in her life. Glimmer would need _her. _But in this moment, she had her friends – her found family – and Casta could wait.


End file.
